Was the 'heart pacemaker' a 'space spinoff'?

On Thu, 21 Oct 2004 17:54:51 GMT, "Jim Oberg"
wrote:

Question -- most space-spinoffs seem to be mythical, how about these

claims from a nice Jim Voss school speech, including pacemakers

and Velcro?



"Most astronauts don't bring anything back to earth except knowledge,
Voss
said, and a lot of technology, including Velcro, the pacemaker and a
computer all came from the space program."

http://www.oanow.com/servlet/Satelli...OAN_BasicArtic
le&c=MGArticle&cid=1031778660589&path=!frontpag e

-Pacemaker

Dr. John A. Hopps invented of the first external heart pacemaker in
1949. The first one was implanted in 1958. Doesn't seem to be any
connection to the space program.

http://ct.essortment.com/johnhoppswhoi_rlou.htm


- Velcor

Velcro was invened in 1948 by George de Mestral, a Swiss engineer.

http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Velcro


- Rusty Barton

(Rusty B) wrote in message . com...
On Thu, 21 Oct 2004 17:54:51 GMT, "Jim Oberg"
wrote:

Question -- most space-spinoffs seem to be mythical, how about these

claims from a nice Jim Voss school speech, including pacemakers

and Velcro?



"Most astronauts don't bring anything back to earth except knowledge,
Voss
said, and a lot of technology, including Velcro, the pacemaker and a
computer all came from the space program."

http://www.oanow.com/servlet/Satelli...OAN_BasicArtic
le&c=MGArticle&cid=1031778660589&path=!frontpag e

-Pacemaker

Dr. John A. Hopps invented of the first external heart pacemaker in
1949. The first one was implanted in 1958. Doesn't seem to be any
connection to the space program.

http://ct.essortment.com/johnhoppswhoi_rlou.htm


- Velcor

Velcro was invened in 1948 by George de Mestral, a Swiss engineer.

http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Velcro

I know it wasn't mentioned in the original quote by Jim Voss, but
Teflon(tm) is often cited by the press and public as a spin-off from
space. In fact, Teflon(tm) was invented or discovered by a Dupont
engineer in 1938.

In article ,
Bill Bogen wrote:
I know it wasn't mentioned in the original quote by Jim Voss, but
Teflon(tm) is often cited by the press and public as a spin-off from
space. In fact, Teflon(tm) was invented or discovered by a Dupont
engineer in 1938.

Discovered -- it was found by accident. However, it was a lab curiosity
then. What made it a practical engineering material was a big infusion of
government cash... not from spaceflight, but from the Manhattan Project.
--
"Think outside the box -- the box isn't our friend." | Henry Spencer
-- George Herbert |